Improvement in convertible chairs



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

C. J. HIGGINS. Convertible-Chair.

No. 206,450. Patented July 30,1878.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. J. HIGGINS. A Convertible-Chair. No. 206,450. Patented July 30,1878.'

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W QESEEE'. I v w N. PETERS. PMOm-LITHOGRAFHER. WASHINGTON. D (L UNITED SrA'rEsPA'rENT ()nnrcn.

CHARLES J. HIGGINS, OF HALLOWELL, MAINE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CONVERTIBLE CHAIRS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 206,450, dated July 30, 1878; application filed March 8, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. Hreenvs, of Hallowell, Kennebec county, State of Maine, have invented an Improvement in Childrens Furniture, of which the following is a specification:

This invention relates to childrens furniture, and has for its object to produce an article of furniture which may be employed for various useful purposesas, for instance, a crib, either a rocking or a rolling crib, ahigh or a low crib, a carriage, a chair, either rocking or rolling, and a safety-parlor.

The invention consists in connected sections, substantially as herein described, adapted, by change in position with reference to each other and the floor, to form either a crib, chair, or safety-parlor, substantially as hereinafter set forth; also, in an article of furniture having opposite rims connected together to form a safetyparlor, when the rims are placed one above the other, in combination with a bed-bottom to form a crib, when the rims are placed parallel with each other and in vertical position with relation to the fioor, substantially as hereinafter described; also, the combination, with connected sections adapted, by change in position with reference to each other and the floor, to form either a crib, chair, or safetyparlor, of rollers to convert such crib or chair into a rolling crib, carriage, or chair; also, in an article of furniture composed of connected rims, to serve one end up as a safetyparlor, and, by partial inversion and the application of a bed-bottom, to serve as a crib; and in other features hereinafter described.

Figure 1 represents, in side elevation, my invention arranged as a covered low crib, the wheels being turned down to make a roller crib; Fig. 2, a side elevation of a high and open crib, the mattress being swung as a hammock and the rollers resting upon the floor. Fig. 3 shows the apparatus arranged as a rolling chair; Fig. 4, a side view of the apparatus arranged as -a safety-parlor; Figs. 5, 6, and 7,

' top views of other forms of safety-parlor which may he made from the apparatus; Fig. 8, a cross-section of the mattress with its sides folded down, the bottom thereof being stuffed or padded, as it is preferred at times to make; Figs. 9 and 10, a side elevation and section of the supporting-rollers constructed as they will be in practice; Fig. 11, a side view of the connecting-pin as it is preferred to make it; Fig. 12, adetail of the connecting-joints; Fig. 13, a detail of the arm-braces Fig. 14., a crossseotion of the bed with the side pieces in upright position, and Fig. 15 a modification to be hereinafter described.

The article of furniture herein described is preferably composed of three sections, a b a, each section consisting of two curved rims, 2 3, joined together in any suitable way, preferably byrounds at. One of these rims of each section will, in practice, preferably be provided with one or more casters, 6, to enable the safetyparlor, as shown in Fig. 4,- to be rolled over the floor, provided it is desired so to do. The section 0, which I denominate the base-section, is provided with rollers or wheels j, which are so pivoted or supported thereon that they may be turned down to rest upon the floor, to convert such basesection into a rolling base; or they may be turned up, as shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 9, to form a rocking base. In practice, these rollers f will turn on an axle at one end of an arm, g, adapted to turn upon the end of one of the rounds c l, such end of the round, after passing through a hole in the arm, also extending through a frictionplate, h, provided with steps 4. 5, to limit the upward and downward positions of the rollers, such plate being-pressed against the arm g by a suitable spring, 'i. In this instance there is a spiral spring placed about one end of the round within the rim. The sections a b are permanentlyjointed together by suitable links, 6, (shown in detail in Fig. 12,) and have applied to them arm-braces k, composed of bars 7 8, jointed together at 9, the joints being preferably provided with roughened faces, as shown at 10, or having between them friction-washers, so that the ends of the bars may, by a suitable nut, be clamped together firmlyto hold the sect-ions a b in any desired position, the different positions of such sections for difi'erent useful purposes being shown in the drawings. The free ends of the sections a b are provided with links I, to permit such sections to be joined with the ends of section 0, as in Figs. 1, 2, and 3; or, in case a larger safety-parlor than could be made from three sections is desired, then such sections a b may be joined, one with section 0 and the other with an auxiliary section, 122, the sections 0 and at being then jointed together. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 show some of the different ways in which these sections may be combined to form safety-parlors of (lifferent shapes and interior dimensions.

The bed portion of this my invention is composed of a bottom piece, a, and attached side pieces, 0 p. This bed may be either of canvas or other flexible material, or any material commonly used for bed-bottoms, and it may or may not, as desired, be upholstered. If upholstered, the bed serves a very excellent purpose as a cushion for the chair seat and back, as shown in Fig. 8. The side pieces, 0 j), prevent the child rolling out of bed. The bedbottom is provided at its ends with suspending devices 0, shown as hooks attached to the bed-bottom and side pieces, so that the bedbottom, when made of flexible material, may be suspended from the rounds d or other suitable supports.

It is obvious that the bed-bottom may be formed with eyes to receive the hooks.

The drawing, Fig. 1, represents the sections to b jointed to the base-section c, and the bed-bottom so supported therein as to form a roofed or covered low crib, over which a netting or covering may be thrown. In such figure the rollers are turned down to rest upon the floor, forming a rolling crib; but the roll crs may be turned upward into the positions shown in dotted lines, which would permit the rims of section 0 to rest upon the floor, when the crib would be converted into a rockin g crib.

nected ends of such sections are placed upon the base-section 0, the ends of the arm-braces k then engaging suitable projections upon the base-section.

As described in Fig. 1, it will be obvious that this high crib may be either a rocking or roller crib.

If the bed be removed from the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the cribs may be used as carriages, suitable seats being added, or the base-section c by itself may be used as a wagon.

In Fig. 3 the three-part links 6, connecting the sections a b, are joined with one end of the base-section a, and one end of a with the other end of the base-section, and the section bis so turned upward" with its concaved side backward as to form a chair-back. This section 12, forming the back, may be held at any desired inclination with reference to the section a,

forming the. seat of the chair, by the adjustment of the arm-braces It, and it is obvious that the chair may be made as a rolling or a rocking chair.

The connecting-pins between the sections a c, b 0 will in practice, be made as spring-pins s, such as shown in Fig. 11,they being adapted to be drawn out and in through the plates t attached to the rims near their ends, the pins entering the holes in the links.

For a very cheap article of furniture, quickly convertible into either a crib, carriage, or safetyparlor, the rims at each side the crib may be madein one or more pieces, permanently joined together, as shown in small size, Fig. 15, it being adapted to stand upon its side to form a crib, carriage, or rocker, and to be turned over upon its end to form a safety-parlor.

The curve or shape of the sections can be more or less modified without departing from my invention.

It will be noticed in all the cribs represented in the drawings that they may be made to rock backward and forward in a plane parallel with the rims; and the safety-parlors shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 15, when partially inverted, are shaped to rock, and not to roll, for the rims of the safety-parlor employed as the base of the crib are of the curve common to rocking-chairs.

- I claim- 1. The connected jointed sections a Z) 0, sub stantially as described, adapted, by change in position with reference to each other and the floor, to form either a crib, chair, or safetyparlor, substantially as set forth.

2. The opposite connected rims a b 0, in combination with a bed-bottom, to form a crib when the rims are placed in proper position with relation to the floor, substantially as described.

3. The connected sections a b c, substantially as described, adapted, by change in position with reference to each other and the floor, to form either a crib, chair, or safetyparlor, in combination with rollers to convert the crib or chair in a rolling crib, carriage, or chair, substantially as set forth.

4. The connected rims adapted, by continuous connection, to form a safety-parlor, and by partial disconnection and inversion a crib, in combination with a removable bed-bottom provided with side pieces and braces, 7 and 8, substantially as described.

5. The opposite connected rims adapted to form a safety-parlor, and by partial inversion to form a crib, in combination with rollers to convert the crib into a rolling crib or carriage.

6. The combination,with the sections a b, of the arm-braces to hold the sections in upright position, substantially as described.

7. The sections a, b, and 0, in combination with and connected at the angles of the triangular links 6, substantially as described.

8. As a new article of manufacture, the op- In testimonywhereof I have signed my name posite connected rims, adapted, when both are to this specification in the presence of two subparaliel with the floor, to form a safety-parscribing witnesses.

101', and shaped as described, to permit such CHARLES J. HIGGINS. rims to rock, as set forth, when arranged as Witnesses: shown, to form a crib, substantially as set A. HIMERWADEL,

forth. L. A. BAXTER. 

